Bracketology: Updated projected field and a crazy bubble

Wow. March 7 was an incredible day for the bubble. With another big one coming up, here is how the Bracketology projected field is shaking out.

I don’t think anyone will disagree with me saying that last night was exceptional. Over the past week of play, yesterday featured some of the biggest games for the bubble and they did not disappoint. Starting with afternoon basketball, teams poured their hearts onto the floor in hopes of snagging a victory. As was made obvious throughout the day, though, only one team can win each game. With that, there were several shifts along the cutline for the Bracketology projected field.

For a summary, here is what went down yesterday:

• North Carolina took down Syracuse at the ACC Tournament. This pushed the Tar Heels back into a No. 2 seed and moved the Orange out of my field. Syracuse fans need to hope that teams around them fall and the committee has their back more than I do.
• Louisville defeated Florida State to move firmly into my field. While they are by no means a “lock,” this was certainly in the right direction.
• Arizona State continued their horribly disappointing Pac-12 season by falling to Colorado in the conference tournament. There is a still a chance that the Sun Devils go dancing thanks to their non-conference wins over Kansas and Xavier but nothing about their play passes the eye test right now.
• Speaking of disappointing teams as of late, Oklahoma dropped their first game in the Big 12 Tournament to Oklahoma State. In my opinion, the Sooners are locked into the tournament field regardless of the next few days, though. On the other hand, this was a big win for the Cowboys, who are very close to sneaking into the field.
• Bucknell eviscerated Colgate to take the Patriot League conference tournament title and go dancing!
• Washington had its last chance to dance slashed by Oregon State, who pulled off the upset. The Huskies were on the bubble but needed to do a lot of work in the Pac-12 Tournament.
• Marquette barely squeaked out a win over DePaul in the Big East Tournament. They have moved into my projected field and they have a chance to make that position very secure. If the Golden Eagles can upset Villanova today, things will change.
• Texas likely locked in a spot with a win over Iowa State. Their amount of quality wins makes them a tough team to pass in the seed lines.
• Notre Dame moved into the “First Four Out” with a big win over Virginia Tech. They still need one more win to reach my field but they are closer now than I ever thought they would get.
• NC State falls a tad on the overall list due to losing to Boston College. They sit as a No. 9 seed.

As exciting as yesterday was, today (March 8) could be even better. Here is what my Bracketology projected field looks like heading into the day, starting with the South Region.